A few stories from the weekend caught my attention and I thought I’d share them with you, and it’s odd that both are Catholic news from St. Louis. I’ll try to diversify for my next posting.
The first was about “the largest Scout Mass in U.S. history” held this weekend in St. Louis. Knowing that there was a Scouting event in Forest Park and that many Scout troops are sponsored by churches or parishes, this fact makes sense. But, I was intrigued nonetheless. It isn’t everyday that the archbishop leads Mass for a group of Boy Scouts, after all.
Archbishop Robert Carlson celebrates Mass with Boy Scouts in St. Louis on Sunday.
You see, St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson is himself a former Scout. He told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he was “a few merit badges short of Eagle Scout,” but has remained active in Scouting his entire adult life — as waterfront director at Scout camps in college and as a member of Scouting boards of directors.
He also said the Archdiocese of St. Louis is the only Catholic diocese in the country with a separate department for Scouting.
A second story in the Post caught my eye because of its possible connections to Columbia. It seems that some nuns in Richmond Heights are leaving their convent for retirement communities elsewhere because the convent is no longer practical for such a small number of them.
In Columbia, the Benedictine Sisters are closing their monastery off West Broadway because it is not practical to keep it running with so few sisters remaining there. Former Missourian reporter Zack Aldrich did a profile of several Columbia nuns last year and spoke with some sisters at the monastery about their daily life. (Note: a link will be provided later; the site isn’t allowing searches right now.)
A view of Our Lady of Peace Monastery in Columbia
Missourian neighborhood reporters hope to bring you more news about the monastery and the future of the sisters there in the coming days and weeks. Keep checking back for updates, and tell us what you think.
